Chocolate Pudding Cake
This cake gives whole new meaning to “fudge” cake. A thick fudgy chocolate pudding is frozen in a cake pan, creating a real “tunnel of fudge.” When served, it is topped with a garnish of rumpled pure chocolate.
Ingredients
- Garnish
- Bittersweet Chocolate - 4 OZ, chopped
- Bittersweet Chocolate - 1 ounce, grated
- Cake
- Whole Milk - 2/3 cup
- Vanilla Extract - 1 teaspoon
- Sugar - 1/3 cup
- Egg Yolk - 1 large
- Semi-sweet chocolate - 7 ounces, chopped
- Unsalted Butter - 1/2 pound (2 sticks)
- Cocoa powder for dusting
- Confectioner’s sugar for dusting
Instructions
To make the garnish: Melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler over barely simmering water and heat to 112 F. Remove from heat and place on a towel to anchor the bowl. Stir in the grated chocolate until the temperature drops to 90 F. Pour the chocolate onto a marble slab or the clean back of a sheet pan and spread out quickly with a spatula to make a large thin pool of chocolate. Let the chocolate cool enough to lose its shine; test at the edge and lift it with the spatula. When the chocolate lifts easily but is still flexible, lift the entire piece and gather roughly like rumpled paper into a piece about 7 inches across. Set aside to cool.
To make the cake: In a saucepan, combine the milk and vanilla extract and bring to a boil over medium heat. Whisk the sugar and egg yolk together in a bowl until thick enough to form a slowly dissolving ribbon when drizzled back upon itself. Whisk a large spoonful of the hot milk into the egg mixture to temper the egg, then whisk the egg mixture back into the milk. Put back over the heat and cook until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, stirring gently. Put the chocolate in a heatproof bowl and pour the hot mixture over it. Let it stand 30 seconds, then begin stirring together slowly with a spatula, working from the center outwards. Let cool.
Beat the butter for 15 minutes at medium speed with the paddle attachment of the beater. When the chocolate has cooled to tepid, add one third of the whipped butter to the chocolate and mix well. Mix in the remaining butter. Pour into an 8-inch diameter, 2- to 3-inch deep cake pan and cover with plastic wrap. Freeze at least 4 hours.
To serve: Remove the cake from the freezer and place the bowl in warm water for a few seconds to loosen the cake. With your hand, turn the cake inside the bowl to free it from the sides, then turn it out onto a plate. Smooth the top and sides with a spatula. Lightly dust the cake and plate with cocoa powder. Place the rumpled chocolate garnish on top. Lightly dust the garnish with confectioner’s sugar.
